


Lost In Love

by DillsM



Category: Mewgulf, เกลียดนักมาเป็นที่รักกันซะดีๆ | TharnType: The Series (TV), เกลียดนักมาเป็นที่รักกันซะดีๆ | TharnType: The Series (TV) RPF
Genre: CEO Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat, Dating Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat/Gulf Kanawut Traipipattanapong | MewGulf Pen Faen Gun, Light Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:00:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DillsM/pseuds/DillsM
Summary: Gulf had always wanted to work for J. Corporation. When he saw an opening as the CEO's personal assistant, he applied for the job thinking that he will be working for the founder of the company but instead, he will be working for the son, who he had a crush on back in University.
Relationships: Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat/Gulf Kanawut Traipipattanapong
Comments: 54
Kudos: 319





	1. The Unexpected Meeting

Gulf woke up to soft sheets, and the morning light trickled in through the blinds. He grabbed his phone to check the time and it was only 8 am. He was surprised that he woke up before his alarm rang. Gulf let out a loud yawn and got off the bed, ready to start his day. He has a job interview later at 10 am and he was excited about it. 

Gulf has been unemployed for 3 months as he had quit his previous job. His previous job wasn’t bad. He had made many great friends and met many friendly clients through the company. But working under his supervisor was a total nightmare.

His supervisor liked to pick on him and dumped all of his works for Gulf to finish. Being new to the company, he had no choice but to follow. Due to multiple workloads, he had to work overtime to be able to finish both his and his boss’s works. After a year has passed, he thought that enough was enough and he decided to resigned from his position. 

Just thinking about his ex-boss made him exhausted. He shook his head as he walked towards the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. He grabbed what is needed and after a few minutes of preparing, he sat on the dining table with a simple plate of egg on toast, ready to be eaten. As he was about to take the first bite, the front door suddenly opened and due to the sudden intrusion, he has dropped his fork due to shock.

“Good morning, Gulf!” A raven-haired man walked in with a broad smile on his face. Mild.

“What are you doing here early in the morning? And have you heard of knocking?” 

His friend giggled at Gulf’s confused face, “Why should I knock when you gave me the keys to your apartment?” 

“That doesn’t mean you can enter any time you want! God, you scared me”

“Sorry buddy, I try not to let it happen again,” he said sarcastically as Gulf rolled his eyes.

“Anyways, the reason I’m here is that I heard from Boat that you have an interview with J. Corporation today as the CEO’s personal assistant. So you know, just stopping by to say good luck to my best friend” Mild said with a smirk crept on his face.

“What’s with the smirk?”

“Oh nothing, I’m just happy for you. I like how you choose to get close to the father. Maybe if he likes you enough then he might introduce you to your long time crush. Smart move to get into the son’s pants” laughed Mild.

“What are you talking about? I applied for this position because I’m unemployed and they were hiring. I need a job, plus the company is well known. I can build myself there if I do a good job” Gulf defended himself.

“Whatever you say, Gulfie” Mild ruffles Gulf's hair, “Also, I’m broke and very hungry, so you eat and prepare yourself to look pretty in front of your future father in law while I’ll go make myself some breakfast” 

“You really have no shame” Gulf shook his head.

“You still love me!” yelled Mild as he walked into the kitchen.

As excited as Gulf was, he is actually nervous for today’s interview. Mainly because his previous job is not related or similar to the current position he applied for. Truthfully, Gulf had applied for the company multiple times in the past but was never lucky enough to be selected. So when he received the interview email, he was surprised to know that he was shortlisted. 

J. Corporation is one of the biggest architectural companies in Asia. With multiple branches across the world and many notable clients, getting into the company is highly competitive. The company is founded and lead by Kantsak Jongcheveevat, who happens to be one of the richest men in Thailand. To Gulf, being able to work along with one of the most successful men in the country, would be such a great honour.

To be frank, Gulf had looked up to the Jongcheveevat’s family since his 1st year of University. This is due to Gulf’s big crush on the son, Suppasit Jongcheveevat or as everyone calls him, Mew. They had gone to the same University. Throughout his university’s life, he had admired the older from afar. As much as he wanted to approach the older and get to know him, he decided not too. The older had a long list of admirers that were far better than Gulf. Plus, he had a girlfriend so his chances were non-existence. 

In the beginning, he didn’t know that Mew was from an influential family. Unlike everyone else, he was first attracted to the older’s kindness. The older was known to be kind-hearted and helpful towards everyone. When he found out about his background, he was surprised because, despite his high status, the older is always there to give a helping hand to those in need. However, sadly they never had the chance to speak to each other. Gulf believed that the older didn’t even know his existence. And when Mew graduated, Gulf was sad but decided to let his crush go. Nevertheless, Mew would always have a special place in his heart. 

—

“Are you nervous for the interview Mr Traipipattanapong?” the hiring manager asked as they entered the elevator.

“A bit but I will do my very best” Gulf beamed.

“Don’t worry, Mr Jongcheveevat is a nice man. He’ll go easy on you”

“Wait, I’m sorry… Mr Jongcheveevat? The CEO will be interviewing me???” Gulf was staggered.

“Yes, is there a problem?” the lady looked at Gulf.

“Oh no, no, not at all. I didn’t expect to be interviewed by the CEO himself. Usually, the hiring managers would conduct the interview” Gulf explained.

“Ah yes, that’s usually the case but for this position, he would like to choose the candidate himself, to ensure compatibility” she explained as they exit the elevator.

“Oh… I see” Gulf said as they walked towards the CEO’s office. He was at awe looking at his surroundings. Compared to his previous company, J. Corporation’s interior was far more beautiful and sophisticated. The floor was marbled, high ceilings and he could tell that the furnishings are lavish.

“Well, here we are,” she said as they reached the CEO’s office, “I wish you all the best and don’t be nervous. You can do it” she smiled and knock on the door to notify the person inside.

“Come in” a voice from inside said.

Gulf took a deep breath and opened the door. What he saw inside made his heart stopped. Mew. Mew was sitting in front of him. Without thinking, he blurted the older’s name which made him looked up in a confused manner. Gulf panicked and immediately apologised.

“I am so so sorry Mr Jongcheveevat. I didn’t mean to say your name like that”

The man who was sitting across him laughed, “Don’t worry about it. Wait, you look very familiar… Gulf? Gulf Kanawut?” he stood up and he offered his hand to shake.

Gulf’s jaw almost dropped, the older was wearing a nice navy blue suit that fits perfectly well, almost as if it was costumed made just for him. His hair is slicked back and multiple rings decorating his beautiful long fingers. Overall, the man in front of him looked amazing. 

After admiring his long time crush, realisation suddenly hit him that Mew knew who he was. Gulf was stunned. “You know who I am?” he said as he shook the older man’s hand.

“Of course, why? Is that shocking?” Mew questioned the stunned man.

“No… it’s just that we never talk before…”

Mew once again laughed at Gulf’s response, “Well true, but you know who I am so why is it shocking that I know who you are?” 

“That’s different. You’re a Jongcheveevat. Everyone knows who you are” Gulf defended himself.

“And you’re Gulf Kanawut, the university's top football player and the only student who managed to be the captain, despite only being in your 2nd year. You’re not bad yourself you know?” he said as he gestured Gulf to sit down.

“Umm, Mr Jongcheveevat, I have a question. Shouldn’t I be interviewed by your father?” Gulf asked. He didn’t know why Mew was here and he had never expected to ever see him again. It was a well-known fact that Mew had moved to Hong Kong after he graduated to help take care of the company’s Hong Kong's branch. 

“Oh, my father retired a week ago. I am now the CEO of the company. You probably didn’t know as we have yet to announce it publicly” Gulf whole world stopped. When applied for this position, he did not expect to be working for Mew. Now he feels more nervous and pressured for the interview.

“I see, congratulations on the new position! I’m sure you’ll bring more prosperity to the company” Gulf managed to say, but deep inside he was panicking.

“Thank you” the older smiled, “By the way, do you still play?” Mew asked.

“I’m sorry?” 

“Football. Do you still play after you graduated?” Mew asked again.

“Oh… I actually stopped playing in my senior year”

“Oh, why? You were great!” Gulf could see that the older was surprised with Gulf’s revelation.

“My dad passed away at the beginning of my senior year and my mom needed support financially. So I quit football and start working part-time to help her” Gulf unfold his past.

The older’s smile immediately dropped after he heard the reason, “I’m really sorry about what happened Gulf” 

“Oh no, don’t be sorry. I was sad then, but I am okay now. My mom managed to get us back on track”

“That’s good to hear, I hope everything goes well with your family. Also," the older said and Gulf looked at him curious about what he was going to say, "you should really start playing again. You were my favourite player back then” Gulf once again felt like his heart stopped beating. Not only did Mew know his existence, but he was also Mew’s favourite player. The current situation and information received were too overwhelming for Gulf. He needed to calm himself down.

“You okay? You suddenly looked a bit tensed”

“No, I’m fine” Gulf faked a smile.

“Alright then since everything’s okay, shall we start the interview?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, this is my new story. I am a sucker for CEO/PA love story hahaha. Let me know what you guys think about the first chapter and please leave a kudos. Thank you!


	2. A Miracle

The doorbell rang when Gulf entered the cafe. He walked towards the back where the same raven-haired man who had disturbed his peaceful morning was seated. Across Mild was Boat, Mild’s long term boyfriend. The two started dating when Mild was in his second year. Boat was his senior and they met when both Mild and Gulf joined the football team. 

Their love story was funny as it took a year for Boat to court Mild. Their courting phase was full of Boat’s attempt to woo Mild but sadly was rejected multiple times. The rejection didn't stop him from courting, the older had multiple plans on his sleeves to get Mild. In the end, Boat managed to win his heart and Gulf has been the third wheeler of the relationship ever since. As sappy as those two were, Gulf didn’t mind being around them. He was happy for Mild and he believed that those two were meant to be together.

“Oh Gulf, you’re here!” Mild beamed at him.

“Hey guys, sorry for being late. The traffic was horrible” he said as he sat next to boat.

“Don’t worry about it. So tell me, how was the interview?” Mild was eager to know the details. He was so happy that Gulf managed to be shortlisted after multiple tries. 

Upon hearing the question, Gulf sighed frustratedly. The couple looked at each other, sensing that something went wrong.

“That doesn’t sound good, was it bad?” Mild asked again, worried for his best friend.

“I don’t know... I guess it went okay” 

“Then why do you look so stress?” Boat lifted his eyebrow as curiosity hits. 

“Mew is the CEO” 

The couple eyes went wide, not expecting the sentence that came out of their friend’s mouth, “What?!” they asked simultaneously.

“I know, I panicked the moment I saw him. All the confidence I had come crashing down” 

“Isn’t he in Hong Kong? and what about the father?” asked Mild.

“He moved back here to take over his father’s place. The father has retired last week” 

“Oh my god, that means you’ll be working with Mew if you get the position. That’s great! This is your chance to get close to him” Mild was excited over the idea. Gulf has been pinning over Mew for so long. Even after the older had graduated, Gulf had stayed single and refused to go on any dates. He had told Mild that dating wasn’t his thing but deep down, Mild knew that Gulf has yet to move on from Mew.

“I don’t think I’ll even get the job. I feel like I could have done better. I was a stuttering mess during the interview. Plus, I said his name out loud the moment I got into his office. What a great way to start, right?” Gulf felt like deleting his whole existence just thinking about it. 

“Was he mad about it?” Boat asked.

“What?”

“Was Mew mad about you blurting his name?” 

“No he laughed, but I just feel like it was so unprofessional of me. I wanted to make a great impression but instead, I called the CEO by his nickname. No hi or hello, just straight on ‘Mew’” 

“Hey Mew’s a nice guy, remember? I’m sure he doesn’t take it seriously. Plus he laughed, which means he is amused so cheer up. Don’t think too much about it” Boat said and Mild nod in agreement.

“Plus, maybe he’ll give you an extra point for going to the same university as him” Mild grinned.

“Speaking of that, he knew who I was” 

“What???” Mild was shocked. All this while, he thought that Mew didn’t know who Gulf was. They had never talked and even if they walked by each other, neither of them would make any eye contact. He thought that Gulf was just a random face in the hall to Mew. He was wrong all along.

“Yeah, I was surprised too”

“Well, I’m not” Boat suddenly said.

“Hah?” the two best friends looked at him, confused.

“I knew that he knows about you. Back when you both joined the football team, he approached me and asked about you. He said that you were good” 

“Why didn’t you say anything?!” Mild softly smacked Boat’s hand.

“I mean this happened before I got to know you both personally so I didn’t think of bringing it up” 

“So, let me get this straight? Mew approached you and asked about Gulf? Only Gulf or a few other players?” 

Boat thought about it for a while, trying to remember the conversation precisely before answering, “Only Gulf. He came up to me while I was sitting on the bench after practice. He asked if Gulf was new to the team because he had never seen you before. He said you were good and made an excellent addition to the team” 

“Oh shit! You caught his eyes!” Mild said, a little too loud for the cafe. Mild immediately apologised when all eyes were on them. He didn’t mean to say it out loud. He was just too excited.

Gulf, on the other hand, was a blushing mess. His heart was pounding and he could feel the racing beat pulsated under his fingers. He didn’t expect Mew to personally asked about him and complimented him. Although he has a low expectation of getting the position, he really wishes for a miracle to happen. This was his last chance to be with Mew.

—

“Yes mom, I’ll be there in two hours. I’m just getting a few stuff for the house” Gulf said through the phone as he pushed the shopping cart.

Every weekend, Gulf would come and sleepover his mother’s house. His mother lives with his little sister, an hour away from Bangkok. Gulf moved out due to the scarce job opportunities in that area and the distance to commute to the city. It was a difficult decision for him as he was closed to his mom. After his father passed away, their bond has been tighter than ever. She is his best friend and his shoulder to cry on. He had to put on a mask in front of his sister to show how strong he was, but only his mom knew the real person behind the mask.

Every time Gulf comes over, he would buy groceries for the family. Although his family is no longer suffering financially, he still tries to help out by buying groceries for them weekly. His mom is often busy with work and hardly have time to shop, so he decided to take some burden off his mom’s shoulder’s and help out.

As he was pushing the cart towards the dry food section, a voice called his name. The voice strike a chord. Gulf was frozen at his place, standing till, as his heart beats fast. The voice belonged to Mew.

He took a deep breath and looked to his left, finding Mew walking towards him with a soft smiled printed on his face. 

“Hey, what a small world. Didn’t expect to bump into you here” Mew said.

“Ah… Mr Jongcheveevat, nice seeing you here” Gulf said quietly. He could feel himself getting red. 

“Don’t be too formal, we’re not in the office” the older laughed, “call me P’Mew” 

“Right, P’Mew… Ummm, what are you doing here?” Gulf felt like facepalming himself for asking that. The older is obviously there to shop. 

“Groceries” Mew lifted his basket higher to show the younger, before looking into Gulf’s cart “Wow, you’re buying a lot of things there. What’s the occasion?” 

“Oh, it’s not for me. I’m buying it for my family. My mom is busy all the time, so I usually buy a week worth of groceries whenever I come to see them” 

“Oh, you don’t live with them?”

Gulf shook his head, before answering, “They moved out of Bangkok a few years ago” while Mew nod in acknowledgement.

Gulf pursed his lips not knowing what else to say. He was too nervous to say anything else. He wanted to ask about the job but he didn't want to make things awkward if he didn't get it. Plus, its been 2 weeks since the interview, they probably have chosen a better-qualified candidate. 

While he was busy debating in his mind, Mew suddenly handed his phone to him, “Here” the older said. Gulf looked at the phone with confusion written all over him. 

“Ha?” he said looking at the fine man in front of him. 

“Put in your number” 

“You want my number?” Gulf asked, still dazed.

“Yes, silly” the older grinned, “You said we never talk in university, so I guess it’s now or never, right?” 

Gulf’s emotions were all over the place. He wanted to explode in excitement but for the sake of his dignity, he kept himself calm and maintained a poker face. The younger slowly took the phone from the older’s hand and type his number before handing it back to the owner.

Out of nowhere, his phone suddenly rang, as he was about to answer, the older grabbed his hand and shook his head, “That’s me” he laughed.

Gulf wanted to die. He has Mew’s number now. After years of longing, he finally has the older’s number.

“Hey, would love to stay and chat but I got to go now. I have other plans after this. Send my regards to your family and I’ll see you around. Bye Gulf” 

When Mew walked away, Gulf stood there frozen, he couldn’t believe what just happened. They have exchanged phone numbers and Mew wanted to get to know him. Everything felt like a dream and he wishes to never wake up from it.

—

“Mild can you please get my phone from the living room, I need to get the chicken out of the oven” Gulf said when he heard his phone rang.

The shorter man jogged to the living room and return back with Gulf’s phone.

“Who is it?” 

“I don’t know, it’s an unknown number”

Gulf stared at the number before picking it up, “Hello?”

“Hi, may I speak to Mr Kanawut Traipipattanapong?” 

“Speaking” 

“Hi, I’m Jie, calling from J. Corporation”, Gulf's eyes went wide when he heard the name of the company. When Mild saw his best friend’s face, he gestured Gulf to put the call on speaker. 

“I’m calling to let you know that Mr Jongcheveevat has made his decision and have chosen you to become his personal assistant. Congratulations!” the lady on the other line said. Gulf jaw dropped. He got the job! He thought he has lost the position after more than 2 weeks of waiting.

“Thank you so much for the offer! I sincerely appreciate the consideration and the opportunity given” Gulf beamed.

“I’ll email you all the required documents and please hand them over by this Wednesday via email. Is that alright?” 

“Yes, definitely! I look forward to your email” 

“Great, it was nice talking to you and I’ll see you soon. If you have any question to ask, don’t hesitate to contact me, alright? Bye for now” and when the call ended both Gulf and Mild jumped in excitement. 

“You got the job!!!” 

“Pinch me, punch me, tell me this is not a dream!” 

“You’re wide awake Gulf. I’m so happy for you!” Mild laughed, “This calls for a celebration! Should we go out and party tonight?” Mild nudged his best friend.

“Drinks on me” Gulf nudged the other back. 

Suddenly his notification went off, Gulf looked over to his screen and to his surprised, it was a text from Mew, "Congratulations Gulf. I look forward to working with you" Gulf was over the moon. A miracle did happen and he felt blessed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gulf got the job!!! I feel so excited for him while I write this hahaha. To be honest, the writing was not the best but I hope you guys still like the chapter.
> 
> Do let me know what you think and kudos are much-appreciated xx


	3. First Day of Work

“Good morning Mr Traipipattanapong, it’s good to see you again. How are you feeling about your first day?” A young lady approached Gulf. It was Jie, the hiring manager that contacted Gulf previously.

“I’m actually really excited. I’ve been unemployed for 3 months, so I miss being in the office” Gulf said as they walked towards the elevator. Truth be told, Gulf was excited to see Mew. He couldn’t sleep last night due to the excitement of seeing the older man. He had never thought that he would be in contact with Mew, but here he was, as Mew’s personal assistant. Not the relationship Gulf initially wanted but it is better than nothing.

“Good, well I hope you’ll enjoy yourself here. Try to treat this company as your home. You can come here any time you want, even on the weekends. There’s a gym, a pool, a game room, a massage room and many more. I’ll give you the directory for you to navigate yourself around the building. Also, we’re very casual people, not too formal, we call everyone including the CEO by their nicknames. Speaking of which, your’s are?” 

“Gulf”

“Gulf, perfect, short and simple” the lady beamed, “Anyway, I have Mew’s current schedule here with me. Now it is your duty to keep track of them and update regularly. Try to memorise them because you’ll need to remind him daily to ensure that he doesn’t miss any of his meetings and appointments. He has a lot on his plate, so a reminder would be good. Personally, I don’t know Mew’s style of working as he is new, but what I’ve told you are the basic things you should do” Jie explained as they exited the elevator, reaching the highest floor. Despite how huge the floor was, there was only one office located there, which was Mew’s.

“Mew will explain more regarding your job scope when you see him, okay, let me show you around this floor” Jie navigated them to the left side where the pantry was located. The pantry was bigger than what Gulf expected, especially when there were no workers allocated on this floor, except for Mew and himself. Gulf could see various snacks nicely organised, a fridge full of drinks to choose from, a variation of alcohols beautifully arranged and a high-end coffee machine located next to the fridge. Situated in the middle of the pantry, was a long lavish black marbled table, that can accommodate 12 people.

“This is a huge pantry,” Gulf said in awe.

Jie laughed at Gulf’s reaction, “Yes, the pantry is big because the previous CEO was not keen on having lunch outside, so he would always have his lunch here with a few other people, which explains the table size” she explained as they moved out of the pantry and amble to the right side of the floor, “Here’s the toilet for you. There’s a shower in there as well, just in case you need to use it” 

“And last but not least, your desk,” she said as they walked towards Mew’s office. It was a glass desk with gold hardware. It was placed right outside of Mew’s office. On top of the table were a grey MacBook Pro and the latest iPhone next to it. “You are required to use the company’s laptop while working since you’ll be working under the CEO, a lot of things are private and confidential, so in case anything happened, we can track it easily. Now, the phone you see will be your work phone, we have charged and inserted the sim card for you and I’ve also added Mew’s work number in for your convenience” Gulf wanted to laugh at the last part. Little did she know, he actually has Mew’s personal number saved.

“Well, that is all from me. Mew’s already inside. You can put your stuff away and whenever you’re ready, just knock the door and he’ll let you in, okay? It’s nice having you onboard Gulf. If you have anything to ask HR-related, you have my number” Jie gave Gulf a warm smile and walked away.

Gulf placed his bag on the chair and grabbed both of his personal and work phone before walking towards Mew’s office. “Here we go” Gulf whispered to himself before knocking.

“Come in” 

Gulf opened the door and there he was, his beautiful fine boss, wearing a white shirt, sleeves rolled up, displaying his veins. Gulf always had a thing for his veins. He had noticed it since his first encounter with the older and he found it sexy. Mild had always teased him saying that he had a vein kink but who could blame him when Mew’s arms were beautifully sculptured. He wonders what would it feels like to have his hand wrapped around his-

"Gulf?” Gulf snapped back to reality and found his boss standing in front of him with one eyebrow raised.

“Are you okay? I literally called you a couple of times but your mind was basically elsewhere” 

“Oh, I… I had a lot going on in the morning and my head is everywhere right now. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again” Gulf lied as he could feel his heart racing and heat spreading across his body. He really hoped that he’s not turning red.

“Are you sure? Your face is really red now, are you sick?” Fuck. Gulf cursed to himself. His own body has betrayed him.

“No no, it’s just really hot right now” another lie came out.

“Really? The air-conditioner is set at the lowest right now” 

Gulf faked laugh at Mew’s statement. “My body can be weird sometimes. Don’t worry, it will adapt soon” Gulf finished with an awkward smile, trying to convince the older that everything’s fine.

“… Okay, if you say so. Anyway, I’m happy to see you here. I believe that you and I will be an excellent team together as out of all the candidates I’ve interviewed, you stood out the most” As much as Gulf loved hearing compliments coming out of Mew’s mouth. He needed time to calm himself down and a compliment was not helping it. 

“Thank you so much, I hope I don’t bring you down, Mr Jongcheveevat” 

“P’Mew” Mew corrected him, “Call me P’Mew. We’re only a few years apart. I don’t want to feel like an old man around you”

“You sure you’re not old? I think I see a grey hair showing” Gulf joked around. Not knowing where the confidence is coming from.

“You see, this is why I hired you. Someone who is comfortable enough to have a banter. Most of them were like robots. Zero emotions” Mew shook his head just thinking about it.

“So, would you like anything to drink?” Mew asked.

Gulf chuckled at him, “Shouldn’t that be my job?” 

“Well, since it’s your first day, let me be a little kind to you before I show you my horns”

Gulf shakes his head and laughed, “Thank you for the offer but I’m fine” 

“Ouch, is this what rejection feels like?” Mew held onto his chest, pretended to be hurt from what Gulf had said. 

“Hey, there’s always next time” giggled the younger.

“What makes you think there is a next time?”

“Well, don’t want to be rude and turned you down completely” Gulf grinned at him.

“You’re a little cheeky aren’t you, I like that” Mew sniggered looking at Gulf directly in the eyes. Gulf could feel himself getting red again by Mew’s comment. The way the older had looked at him when he said that had him melted. Both stared at each other and there is undeniable tension in the air and Gulf didn’t know how to react.

The older cleared his throat and broke the eye contact “Okay, let’s be serious now and talk business” he said as he grabbed a pen and begin to sign the stack of documents in front of him “I’m sure Jie has given to you my current schedule? I have a lot of things coming up, so it’s your duty to finalised everything and ensure that my calendar is up to date. You’ll need to prepare reports for me, but, don’t worry, I’ll give you an example for you to refer too” he said still focusing on signing the papers. “Also, I need you to follow me to all of my meetings”

“Wait, I need to follow you to your meetings?” Gulf interrupted which made the older looked up.

“Yes, I need you to take notes during the meetings. I’ll do too but I believe two brains work better than one” The older explained and resume on signing. “Your lunch break is from 1 pm to 2 pm. You don’t have to tell me when you’re leaving your desk as you’re free to go as you’re pleased. However, there are times where I’ll be busy, so I would appreciate it if you could buy lunch for me. I don’t like deliveries, the food always comes late and cold, so you’ll need to go to the restaurant and take it away, is that okay?” the older looked up again.

Gulf immediately nods his head the moment eye contact was made, “Yes, don’t worry. I’ll grab lunch for you” 

The older smiled at Gulf’s answer, “Perfect, and since that will consume your time, get one for yourself as well and you can eat it in the pantry. Just choose whatever you want and the tab will be on me”

“Oh don’t worry, I can pay them by my-“

“I insist” the older cut Gulf.

“Okay…” Gulf replied, feeling defeated.

“And last but not least, I take work very seriously,” Mew said as he signed the last paper and looked up “So I would like to apologise in advance if you ever see the bad side of me” Gulf unconsciously gulped at what Mew had said. He didn’t know what the older meant, but he really hoped it’s nothing bad as he doesn’t like it when people raised their voice at him. 

“That’s all from me, do you have any questions?” 

Gulf kept quiet for a while to think and finally, a question pops up, “How do you like your coffee?” 

Mew couldn’t help but to laughed as he didn’t expect that question. The younger had looked very serious, he thought that the question would be work-related.

Gulf, on the other hand, was confused about why the older was laughing, “What’s so funny?”

“You could have asked any other questions but you choose that. You looked all serious, I just didn’t expect that” 

“What? I want to get your coffee selection right. I don’t want to see your horns when I bring you the wrong coffee” 

“I’m not choosy Gulf. How about you surprise me, okay? Just bring me whatever you think is right on that day. Any other question?” the younger shook his head. 

The older gathered all the documents and hand it to Gulf, “If there’s no more question, please give this to the head of operations, his name is Tul. His office is on the 15th floor” the younger nod and grabbed the signed documents as Mew lead him to the door and opened it for him.

“Oh and Gulf, don’t text or call me using your work phone. It would feel too professional. I would like to get to know you beyond work. You know, to catch up what we miss in University” and before Gulf could say anything the door was closed. Gulf was overwhelmed, he wanted to know what the older meant by catch up.

—

“Why are you still here?” Gulf’s concentration broke when he saw his boss walking towards his desk, “It’s 1.35 pm, shouldn’t you be out for lunch?” 

Gulf looked at his watch and cursed to himself. He was too busy studying the reports given by Mew two hours ago, not realising it is currently lunchtime. “I lost track of time” he answered, “but don’t worry, since it’s already late. I’ll just get something to eat from the pantry” Gulf said as he organised the reports and push his chair into his desk. As he was about to walk towards the pantry, Mew stood in front of him and blocked his way.

“Umm, no you’re not. You need real food. We have a meeting later at 3 pm and I don’t want your stomach to growl in the middle of the meeting. The clients might think I’m abusing you by not letting you eat lunch” 

“It’s too late for me to go now. It’s almost 20 minutes to 2, I won’t make it on time if I go out and eat now” Gulf tried to move out of the way but was once again, blocked by his boss.

“You don’t have to be back by 2, Gulf. Come on, I’m going out for lunch now. Join me?” As much as Gulf wanted to object, he knew that he shouldn’t as Mew was his boss anyway.

—

“Ummm, P’Mew… This place looks a little bit out of my budget range” Gulf said as they stood in front of the restaurant. “I’ve been unemployed for 3 months, so I’m quite tight financially” the restaurant in front of him looked fancy. It was not your typical everyday restaurant that you dine in regularly. He knew that his bank account would be crying if he actually dines in there.

“Who says that you’ll be paying? I’ve invited you, so of course, the meal would be on me. Don’t worry Gulf, come on, I’m starving” Mew grabbed Gulf by the wrist and pulled the younger with him as they entered the restaurant. Gulf felt butterflies in his stomach the moment Mew held his wrist. Not wanting the older to see him blush, he put his head down as he followed the older.

“Good afternoon, Mr Jongcheveevat. Would you like a table for two?” the hostess asked.

“Yes, please”

“Very well, follow me” 

Gulf who was standing still didn’t move to follow the hostess, the younger was at awe staring at the aquarium next to him. When the older noticed that Gulf was not walking next to him, he looked behind and chuckled when he saw Gulf’s big bambi eyes staring at the fishes. The younger looked adorable, with his mouth slightly opened. “Gulf?” he said grabbing the attention of the younger. He reached out and grabbed the younger by the wrist again and guide him through the restaurant.

“Sorry, I love fishes. I’ve always wanted one as a kid but my parents said it would be a hassle to clean the aquarium frequently” Gulf said as he sat down.

“Here are your menus and your server will be with you shortly,” the hostess said.

Gulf opened the menu and his jaw dropped when he saw the price of the food. It was ridiculously overpriced! “P’Mew, I can’t let you pay, this is too much” 

The older looked up and gave Gulf a warm comforting smile, “Don’t worry about the price, just choose whatever you want” Gulf nodded his head with a frown on his face. He felt really bad. He doesn’t like using other people’s money, especially when it’s expensive. When his family went through a difficult time financially, Gulf got into trouble when he started borrowing or using money from the wrong people. Those people would say that it’s their treat but when times are tough, they would force him to pay them back. Gulf sighed at the thought of it. Not wanting to disappoint his boss by not ordering anything, he tried to find the cheapest item on the menu.

The older noticed Gulf’s behaviour. He could see that the younger was not reading the food description but instead, was looking through the price of each dish. “Gulf, I’ll know if you purposely choose the cheapest thing on the menu. So please, just choose whatever you want. Take this as a treat to celebrate your first day at work”

“Phi… how about you choose it for me instead? I don’t feel comfortable choosing it myself. Please?” 

The older gave him an understanding nod, “Are you allergic to anything?” 

“Yes, seafood”

“Alright then, is steak okay?”

“Anything is fine Phi”

—

“Oh my god, this steak is so good! Probably the best steak I’ve ever had! No wonder the price is so high” Gulf said as he took another big bite, smudging the side of his lips.

“Gulf, there’s a stain at the corner of your lips” The older chuckled at the younger’s panicked face. Gulf quickly took a napkin and tried to wipe the stain off. 

“Is it gone?” Gulf asked. 

The older shook his head. The younger go through his lips with the napkin once again, “how about now?”

“No” Mew was laughing at Gulf who kept on wiping his face but kept missing that one spot. “Here, let me help you,” Mew said as he stood up slightly to helped wipe the stain away with his napkin. When Mew got closed to Gulf, the younger gulped and was left frozen. The older was closed enough, he could feel his breath on his face. He stared at him as his heart begins to beat fast. His features from up close were perfect. Gulf couldn’t help himself but stare at the older’s lips. It was so inviting.

“There you go, all clean” the older said as he sat back down. 

“Thank you…” Gulf replied.

“No worries” The older beamed at Gulf. “Oh, and by the way, you’re all red again” the older giggled.

Shit. His body has betrayed him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, here's a new chapter for you. Since I've been writing a lot of angst in my previous stories, I find it easier to write fluff hahaha.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story. Do let me know what you guys think as I love to hear your opinions.
> 
> See you in the next chapter and don't forget to leave me a kudos.


	4. Secretly Liking You

** A couple of weeks ago **

“Mew, I have the applications here with me. I have arranged them from most experienced to the least experienced” The hiring manager put the application on his desk, “I’ve also put a sticky note on the people I think are the most qualified” she explained.

Being a CEO was nerve-racking for Mew. When he attended an urgent meeting 2 weeks ago, he was astounded when his father announced that he’ll need to return home and take over his father’s position. He knew that he was the heir of the company but he did not expect his father to retire so soon. However, despite being unprepared, he had no choice but the comply with his father’s wish.

Due to his distress, he figured the best way to ensure everything goes smoothly is to hire a personal assistant that is compatible with him. To him, he did not care about the experience, as long as the person is willing to learn and take orders well. He also needed someone he can be comfortable with. To him, communication is key. Poor communication may lead to misunderstanding and it might jeopardise the empire his father had built. He couldn’t risk that.

Looking through the applications was not an easy task. It was difficult for him to choose solely based on what is written on a piece of paper. Although the hiring manager was kind enough to arrange them accordingly, the highlighted one did not stood out for Mew. After an hour of evaluating multiple CV’s, he managed to pick 9 candidates. While searching for the last candidate, a picture on a CV caught his attention and the name Kanawut Traipipattanapong was written beside it. Subconsciously, a smile broke on his face, _“we meet again”_ he whispered to himself.

** Flashback **

Mew was passing through the University field one day and saw the football team practising. He was never a fan of football, in fact, he was never a fan of any outdoor sports. When walking he noticed some new faces playing and as he was about to look away, one particular man suddenly caught his eyes. Mew was speechless as the man was equally beautiful and handsome. He was the tallest there and he has a nice lean toned body. Plus, with his great ball control and passing abilities, there was no denying that the man was a skilful player.

All of a sudden, he was interested in football. Without thinking, Mew sat down to watch. When the practice ended, Mew suddenly felt sad as he actually enjoyed watching the friendly match. When everyone had dispersed, Mew noticed one of the players sitting down at the bench. Mew had recognised him. They weren’t friends but he had talked to him briefly at a party. “Hey Boat” Mew greeted him and sat next to him, “Nice practice, you guys were great”

“Thanks, man, wait, this is my first time seeing you watch our practice” Boat said as he finished chugging his water bottle. “I saw some new faces and thought of checking out. Plus, I just finished my class and was walking to my car” Boat hummed in response as he continued to chug his water, clearly tired from playing. Mew wanted to ask about the beautiful man he saw but he wasn’t sure how. He didn’t want to seem interested, plus, he was sure that he wasn’t interested, just very curious. He has a girlfriend and it will look bad if Boat thinks that he was interested. So he structured his question carefully.

“One of the players I saw was really good. I think his new. I've never seen him before” Mew said, hoping that Boat knows who he was talking about.

"Who? Gulf? The tall one with wavy hair? Yeah, his great. Just a first year but with so much potential”

“Oh, his name is Gulf?” Mew was in glee that Boat knew who he was talking about. “Well, I think he’s a great addition to the team. The way he played was amazing. Even as someone who doesn’t like football, I was intrigued” as he was about to say more, his notification went off. He looked at his screen and saw his girlfriend’s name. Shit, he forgot that he was supposed to meet her. “I got to go, I’ll see you around”

** End of Flashback **

Mew has been secretly observing Gulf for 2 years of his University’s life. No one knew about his feeling towards Gulf, except for his best friends, Boom and Singto. It was during his senior year when he concluded that he wasn’t just curious and attracted to younger, but he actually liked him. However, unfortunately, he did not approach the younger as he had a girlfriend and he respected her.

To be honest, Mew doesn’t love his girlfriend and she was aware of it. She was introduced to him by his parents. She was a daughter of another wealthy family and both families had recommended them to date. Wanting to always satisfy his parents, Mew had agreed to the suggestion. He had been honest with her and told her that he has no feelings for her but was willing to try, she, on the other hand, was already head over heels for him. They dated for a few years before breaking up when Mew had to leave to Hong Kong. Deep down, Mew was not sad about the breakup, don’t get him wrong, he truly cares about her but even after a few years of dating, instead of developing feelings for her, he had developed feelings for Gulf. He felt bad but he just couldn’t help it.

\---

When Mew saw Gulf for the first time after so long, he was surprised to see how the younger got so much beautiful. He looked the same, but, there was something about him that he wasn’t able to pinpoint that made him looked better. The man in front of him made his heart fluttered like a caged bird. If he had forgotten how he felt about the younger, seeing him standing in front of him now, would definitely remind him.

Truth be told, Mew was nervous to see him again but when the younger suddenly blurted his name, he immediately forgot about his worries and laughed out loud. Although he was now calm and relaxed, he didn’t want the younger to know that he had waited for him, so to hide the truth, he decided to pretend that he did not expect to see the younger, “Wait, you look very familiar… Gulf? Gulf Kanawut?” he felt like he deserved an Oscar award for his acting.

When the interview went on, it was difficult for him to keep a poker face. The younger was a cute stuttering mess and he could tell how nervous he was. He wondered if the younger was always like this in every job interview. So to calm the younger’s nerves down, he decided to throw in some jokes to make the younger laugh and made the interview less serious, and soon enough, the younger was able to answer the rest of the questions perfectly.

When the interview ended, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be biased and pick Gulf or be professional and go through the interview process for the rest of the applicants. If he chooses Gulf, it won’t be purely based on bias, despite being nervous in the beginning, Mew was satisfied with the way Gulf answered his questions. He could see the determination in the younger’s eyes. However, eventually, he decided to go through the rest of the applicants before finally deciding.

After almost 2 weeks of interviewing 9 other applicants, many were below Mew’s expectation. They weren’t as enthusiastic as Mew wanted them to be and they were too reserved. Most of them answered the questions very briefly, instead of going into details. After cancelling out 7 names, Mew had to decide between 3 people, including Gulf. As much as his heart wanted to choose Gulf, he wanted to think this through and be fair.

\---

Mew had to give the answer by Monday and he was having a hard time picking between the 3 candidates. The main reason was that realistically, Gulf was not his first choice, in fact, he was his last choice, out of the three. Gulf was good, but the other two were great. As much as he wanted to just get it over with and let the hiring manager know his answers, he didn’t have the heart to let Gulf go… Again.

He decided to think it over the weekend and finalised before the weekdays starts again. Being stressed, he decided to release his tension by cooking. Mew never cooks, he lived off his maids cooking and eating out. But he remembered that when he was younger, one of his maid's had told him that cooking can be therapeutic. Decided to cook for the first time, he grabbed his keys and drive to the nearest grocery store.

When he saw Gulf there, he felt like it was a sign to choose him. A sign for him to stop pushing his feelings away. He knew that liking Gulf was forbidden. His parents had expectations and want him to marry a girl and have kids but he couldn’t stop himself from liking the younger. He tried to move on when he moved to Hong Kong, but deep inside, the younger still holds a special place in his heart. That is when Mew finally made his decision. He had liked the younger for so long and he can’t afford to lose him again. This was his only chance to finally get to know him.

** Present **

When Mew was wiping the stain away, he couldn’t help but stare at Gulf’s lips. It always looked so pink, soft and luscious. It was beautifully shaped like a chestnut and Mew was obsessed with it. He wanted to kiss him right there and then but he knows that he shouldn’t. They were in public and he didn’t want to scare the younger away.

Mew swallowed hard and sat back down before doing anything impulsive, “There you go, all clean” he managed to say. But he was surprised to see how flushed the younger was. His whole face was red and he was looking down, seemingly trying to calm himself down. The younger's behaviour made Mew curious, _“Do I have any effect on him?”_ he thought to himself.

The younger finally looked up and grab the cutleries to finish off his last piece of meat, avoiding Mew’s eyes. Mew was smitten by the way Gulf was acting right now. _“Maybe I do have an effect on him. Does he like me?”_ he thought to himself again.

Mew cleared his throat which made Gulf looked up immediately. The older smiled at him the moment their eyes met, “Are you okay, Gulf? You look like you’re about to have a panic attack” he teased the younger. He doesn’t know if the younger liked him or not but he was going to find out.

\---

The meeting was about to start and Mew had already felt dreadful. Sitting in front of him was one of the company’s top client, Mr Saelim, and despite being one of the biggest contributors to the company, Mew despises him. He had known the man since he was young. The man has been using his father’s service since the very beginning and he had always hated his lifestyle. Despite being married, he had multiple mistresses and will always bring different plus ones, both men and women, to different events.

“Mew, I’ve never thought I’ll see you sitting in front of me right now. You’re all grown up and have matured well” Growing up, the man had always criticised Mew by telling his father that he wasn’t fit to be the heir of the company. To him, Mew wasn’t smart enough and was too soft and kind for the brutal business world. So much negativity from someone who barely knew him and he was sick of it.

“It’s nice to see you again Mr Saelim, I hope you’re well” Mew managed to give a fake courtesy smile. 

“I’m doing good, son. Better than ever” smiled the vile man, “Is this your personal assistant?” the man asked while pointing to Gulf, “He seems young, is he even experienced in what he is doing?” The vulgar man couldn’t even be decent for once.

“This is Gulf, yes he is young, but he is good at what he’s doing”

“Nice to meet you, Sir” Gulf stick his hand out to shake the man’s hand.

The man gave Gulf a dirty smirk and shook the younger’s hand. “You’re very handsome my dear, do you want to have dinner with me sometimes?” Mew was appalled with what he just heard. Yes, the man was a player but he did not expect him to do this in front of him, especially when they are here to discuss business. He looked at Gulf and could sense that he was uncomfortable with the old man’s advance.

“We are here to discuss about your new mall Mr Saelim, so let’s focus. Time is money, isn’t that right?” Mew tried to joke around with him. As much as he wanted to shout at the man for trying to get close with Gulf, he can’t piss the man off. He was important to the company and the father would be upset if they have lost one of their biggest clients.

In the middle of the meeting, Mew couldn’t help but notice the man’s burning eyes staring into Gulf. His eyes were full of lust and Mew felt nothing but anger building inside of him. The younger, however, did not notice the stare. He was busy staring into his laptop, typing away any important information said in the meeting.

He hated the position he is currently in, he hated how he needed to be professional, despite wanting to punch the man directly in the face. He wants to end this meeting as soon as possible. He couldn’t stand being in the same room as him any longer and now that he has all the required information needed, he can conclude everything and end this immediately, “Based on what you have requested, I’ll ask my architect to prepare the design and layout for you. Once everything is ready, I’ll let you know and have them present their ideas to you”

“Sounds good, I look forward to seeing the design”

“Well, it was a pleasure to see you again and I’ll get in contact with you soon” Mew stood up and shook the man’s hand. The younger looked up and followed Mew’s actions. However, when their hands met, the man grabbed it tight and pulled Gulf slightly closer, “So, dinner?” the man asked Gulf again.

“I…”

“He has a girlfriend” Mew interrupted them, making Gulf looked at him with wide eyes.

The man let go of Gulf’s hand and tsked, “What a shame, well if you ever change your mind boy, let your boss know and I’m sure he’ll gladly help you out with my number” he winked and left the room.

“He… Umm, he’s-“ Gulf couldn’t construct any sentence, shocked with what just happened. “He’s the worst” Mew helped him out, “I hated him for so long” he continued.

“I’m sorry for answering on your behalf just now, you seemed uncomfortable, so I thought of helping” Mew apologised.

“No, it’s okay. I should thank you for helping me, I didn’t know what to say. I obviously don’t want too but I didn’t know how to turned him down”

“Well, your lover must be happy that I protected your relationship” the older nudged the younger’s shoulder.

“I- I’m actually single. The last relationship I had was in High School” Mew was shocked at the revelation. He didn’t expect someone as good looking as Gulf to be single for so long. Suddenly, a bubble of happiness grew inside of him. He actually does have a chance on dating the younger.

“Gulf, new rule,” Mew said staring at the younger sternly, “Don’t date any of my clients, shareholders or workers. They are off-limits. Do you understand? Let's keep everything professional”

Gulf who was confused at the sudden new rule but complied and nod his head, not wanting to further question the older. Mew knew that he was being unfair and harsh towards the younger but jealousy took over and he doesn’t want to see anyone flirt with him. This was his opportunity to be with him and he wasn’t going to let anyone steal the opportunity from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Thoughts?
> 
> I wanted to show you what's going on inside Mew's head.
> 
> Hope you guys like it! Please leave a comment and kudos xx


	5. Now or Never

It was Wednesday morning when Gulf’s car decided to cause trouble. The young man had woken up feeling fresh and excited for work, only to find out that he wasn’t able to start his car. By looking at the current time, it was already 8.20 am and he needed to be in by 9. Usually, it will only take about 15-20 minutes drive but now he needed to find another way to get to the office.

With many options to choose from, he decided to opt for the fastest way, which was booking a Grab. He walked out of the car park and towards the lobby of his apartment to wait for the driver to come but unfortunately, even after reaching the lobby, the application was still looking for a driver for him. After 7 minutes of waiting, he gave up as they weren’t any driver available due to high traffic.

 _“Fuck, I’m going to be late”_ Gulf went to his call log and decided to call Mild, who lived close by. Mild is a freelancer who starts working in the afternoon so driving him to work was not a problem, but the only issue was, he usually wakes up late. “ _Come on, pick up, pick up”_ Gulf said as the line rang but no answer. After trying thrice, he decided to give up. The last option was to either take the BTS or MRT. This was the slowest option but he had no choice. He hated how he was going to be late for work, and he only started two days ago. He didn’t want to disappoint Mew.

As he ran towards the station, he decided it was best for him to give Mew a call. He needed to inform the older and apologised. Nervousness strikes when he heard the ringing tone when he put the phone close to his ear. After a few rings, he heard “Hello?” from the other line.

Hearing the older’s voice made him panicked even more. “P’Mew, P’Mew. I- I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m going to be late. I-I can’t start my car and I’m rushing to the BTS station now and I-“

“Gulf, calm down and talk slowly. I can’t understand you, you’re talking too fast” Gulf didn’t realise that he was sputtering.

He took a deep breath before re-explaining, “I’m going to be late. I can’t start my car. I know this is only my third day of working and I shouldn’t be late but I’m really sorry. I didn’t expect this to happen. I'm rushing to the BTS station now”

“Hey, you don’t have to apologise, it’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it” the older replied, “where are you right now?”

“I’m rushing to the BTS station now” Gulf could hear the older man chuckled.

“I know, but which station?”

“Krung Thonburi”

“Okay, stay there”

Gulf suddenly stopped his tracks when he heard what Mew said, “What?”

“I said stay there. I’ll come to pick you up. I’ll be there in 10 minutes”

“Phi, you don’t have too. I don’t want to hassle you”

“I insist, see you” and before Gulf could argue more, the older hang up. Although he felt bad and he didn’t like the idea, he had no choice but to listen to his boss. When he reached the station, he decided to wait by the road. _“You’re going to get your own boss to pick you up, good job Gulf”_ Gulf sighed and waited, still disappointed of himself.

A few minutes later, a black Maserati, stopped and parked in front of him. The window was wind down and there he was, his handsome boss in the driver’s seat. “Did someone call for a Grab?” the older grinned.

Gulf couldn’t help but laugh at the older’s joke. All his worries suddenly disappear when he saw his smile. He still feels really bad but the older managed to make him feel slightly better. “Thank you for picking me up. I really appreciate it” Gulf said as he entered the car.

“My pleasure”

The drive was quiet. It wasn’t awkward, but just quiet. Gulf appreciates this. He wasn’t a fan of talking so much early in the morning. Plus, he enjoyed secretly glancing at Mew. The older looked hot while driving with one hand. He had a serious resting face and Gulf had always found it attractive. Just looking at him makes the younger feels butterflies in his stomach.

“Enjoying the view?” the older suddenly said, as he glanced at him.

Gulf suddenly feels hot and felt like his heart stopped beating, “W-what?”

“The view, landscape, the building surrounding us. I love how they keep the old buildings. I rarely go to this area. I live in Thonglor so I don’t usually use this road to work” Mew explained.

 _“Oh, thank god, I thought he caught me staring,”_ Gulf thought to himself as he let out a sigh of relief.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine, I thought you were asking something else”

“Oh, like what?”

“It’s nothing Phi and yes, it’s nice that’s why I like living here. It’s packed but it has a nice balance between old and new buildings” Gulf quickly change the topic before Mew could ask again.

The older hummed in agreement as he diverts his focus back to driving. Without notice, a sneaky smile appeared on Mew’s face, little did Gulf know, Mew actually did catch him staring.

—

Today was a busy day for Gulf. He needed to make various calls to set appointments for Mew, attend a morning meeting and conduct market research to prepare a statistical report. Since he was new to the job, it was difficult for him to do everything swiftly. However, as a determined person, he is set to get everything done by the end of the day.

Being too focused on his works, he did not notice the elevator door opened. He only looked up when he heard the sound of heels clicking through the marbled floors. “Gulf?” a middle-aged woman said. She was holding a big basket of flowers with various beautiful flowers nicely arranged.

“Is that for Mew? Hold on, I’ll let him know” when he was about to stand up, the woman shook her head.

“No, this is for you”

“Ha?” Gulf was confused. No one knew about his new job except for Mild and Boat and there’s no way those two would send him flowers randomly. Plus, he didn’t know anyone from the office, except for a couple of people that he met briefly during meetings.

“For me?” The confused man pointed to himself, “do you know who it’s from?”

“No, sorry. It was delivered by the delivery man. He didn’t say anything except that it is for you. But there’s a card in here, so maybe the person’s name is in it” she said as she placed the basket on the desk.

 _“Who would send me flowers?”_ He observed the overall look of the arrangement before taking the envelope where the card was in. When he read the card, he felt sick in his stomach.

_**I’m surprised that I have yet to hear anything from you handsome. The dinner offer still stands. Your girlfriend doesn’t have to know, it can be our dirty little secret. I’m sure I can show you a good time and make you feel good. Here’s my number, call me 09-16263838. I’ll be waiting for you.** _

_**-Saelim** _

Gulf felt disgusted, not only is the man was at least 30 years older than him, he was also married with 3 children. Mew had warned him about the man, stating that he was a Casanova that sleeps with different people every single night. The older had told him to ignore his advance as all he wants is sex. Gulf didn’t understand how someone could have such a lifestyle. He believed that if you’re with someone, you should be loyal to them. Sleeping around while being married with kids just made the old man a heartless prick. Not wanting to think more about the man, Gulf crinkled the card and tossed it aside and decided to divert his attention back to his work.

\---

“I’ll be there in 10 minutes, see you,” Mew said as he grabbed his wallet. It was lunchtime and he was going to meet up with Boom and Singto. Due to his busy schedule, he hasn’t had a chance to meet up with them since he came back from Hong Kong. The two has been by his side since elementary school. They were like the three musketeers, doing everything together, including getting into troubles. Due to his background, Mew knew a lot of people, but those two were the only people that he truly trust.

Planning to bring the younger along with him, he frowned when he exited his office to find Gulf’s desk empty. But what made him even sadder was the basket of flowers placed at the side of his desk. His eyebrow raised and a mixture of curiosity and jealousy hits. He walked towards the desk to inspect further. Mew was never a nosy person. He would usually mind his own business but he just couldn’t ignore this, the flowers don’t sit well on him. He hated the fact that someone has sent flowers to the person he likes _“Who is it from?”_ he thought to himself as he looked for the card. After looking around the flowers, he couldn’t find a single piece of paper placed inside.

As he was about to give up, he saw a slightly crinkled pink paper laying next to Gulf’s files. He hesitated to take the paper, in case it wasn’t what he was looking for before slowly grabbing it. When he saw what was written in the card, his emotions changed as anger stirred within him. Fury roared through his mind as he cursed the old man who doesn’t know how to back off. He feels sick knowing that the man wants Gulf in his bed. If he hated the man then, he hates the man even more now. As he was blinded by rage, he crushed the card and threw it into the trash bin. If he could, he would have thrown the whole flower basket as well but he knows that he shouldn’t. Not wanting to look at it any longer, he stomps off.

—

“Should we order a couple of things and share them? I can’t choose one, everything looks so good” Boom suggested.

“Sounds good” Singto agreed with the idea. Both men looked at Mew, waiting for his response but got nothing. Instead, they got a grumpy Mew who was zoning out. They exchanged looks, before tapping the table in front of Mew to get his attention.

“You okay?” Boom asked when Mew snapped back into reality, “why the long face?”

“It’s nothing. What are you guys ordering?” Mew said finally opening the menu to look through.

“We were thinking of ordering a few things and share. You up for that?” Singto said.

Mew closed the menu and nod his head, “Yeah, I’m okay. You guys can choose”

“Okay, something is definitely bothering you. What’s up? Did something happened between you and Gulf?” Boom asked. Both Boom and Singto knew about Gulf working as Mew’s personal assistant. How could they not, when their group chat is full of Mew gushing over the younger. They were the first people he contacted when he found Gulf’s CV. They saw how head over heels Mew was for Gulf in University and they were over the moon for him as he is able to reconnect with the younger again.

“Nothing happened between me and Gulf, it’s just that… Do you remember that stupid old perverted guy that kept looking down on me? My dad’s client?”

“Mr Saelim?” Mew nodded his head, “What about him?”

“He’s trying to get into Gulf’s pants”

“What?!” both men responded in shock.

“He sent flowers to Gulf this morning and it irks me. Why can’t he stop? I told him that Gulf has a girlfriend but he didn’t care. On the card, he wrote saying that it could be their dirty little secret and he can make him feel good. Disgusting” Mew huffed as he drinks a glass of water to calm himself down.

“Damn, what a fucking pervert. I feel sorry for the wife” Singto said.

“Wait… does Gulf actually has a girlfriend?” Boom looked at Mew, confused.

“No, I only told him that so he would back off but that idiot just can’t keep his dick to himself!”

“Mew, I know you told us that you were going to court Gulf but you don’t want to be obvious but how about, just be obvious? You don’t have to verbally tell him that you like him but at least show signs that you do” Boom knew that Mew was afraid to ask Gulf out. He had told them that he was scared of rejection and he didn’t want anything to ruined their professional relationship if Gulf turned him down.

“I agree with Boom, he’s not going to be single forever. He’s a good looking guy you know. The longer you wait, the lower your chances”

Mew sighed as he frustratedly massages his temple. Contemplating on what to do. He knows that they are right but he was scared to actually show signs of interest. He thought of observing the younger from a distance first before doing anything obvious but he realised that it won’t get him anywhere as the younger would still be clueless and would eventually date other people.

“But what if he turned me down?”

“And what if he doesn’t? Didn’t you say that he’s always blushing around you? That clearly shows that he is at least attracted to you” Boom tried to reason out with Mew. He doesn’t want his best friend to lose his final chance.

“But what if he’s just the shy type that blushes at everything?”

“Mew, you basically stalked the kid in Uni, you know that he’s not shy or someone that blushes easily”

Mew kept quiet and didn’t answer back. What his friends are saying is true. Gulf was always outgoing in University and he was always full of confidence. He had seen people bluntly flirting with him but he never blushes or be shy over it. He was basically the opposite of how he acts in front of Mew.

“Plus, didn’t you caught him staring at you this morning? I don’t know about you man, but I definitely think that he’s interested in you” Singto add-in.

“I don’t know… I don’t want to make things awkward between us if he doesn’t like me back”

“Mew, it’s now or never. Do it now or regret it later”

—

Mew was leaning against the chair as he analyses the statistical report that the younger did. He was satisfied with how well researched the report was and all the information he needed was perfectly organised.

“Is it okay?” Mew could see how nervous Gulf was as he awkwardly stands in front of his table. He had offered the younger to sit but he refused and insist to stand. He understands why the younger was at the edge. It was his first time doing such task and since it is his first time working in an architectural company, Gulf was worried that the information he collected was not enough.

“It’s perfect Gulf, thank you” Mew said as Gulf release a sigh of relief.

“You can calm down now” the older chuckled, “you know I won’t scold you even if you do it wrong right? Of course, I want it to be right but since it’s your first time, I can cut some slack” Mew said as he kept the report in his file.

“I know, it’s just that I’m quite a perfectionist. If things don’t go as planned, I’ll be hard on myself”

“I hired a perfectionist? Now I am never going to be worried because I know you won’t screw up” Mew said as a joke but it seems as if it didn’t translate well to the younger. He suddenly looked more worried than he did before. He must have misunderstood Mew.

“Gulf, I didn’t mean it that way. Don’t let what I say burden you. I don’t expect you to be perfect all the time. It’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from it and not repeat it. Cheer up. Turn that frown upside down. I don’t like to see you sad and stress, Gulf” He said the last line with full of devotion and the younger had noticed the changes in his tone as a smile slowly appears on his face.

“That’s it, that’s the smile I’m waiting for! You always look the best whenever you smile” the older grinned at him, turning Gulf into a blushing mess again. Mew will never get sick of this. He loves to tease the younger as the reaction he gave is always the cutest. Sometimes, Mew can’t contain himself. He wished he could just run towards the younger and give him a tight hug. _“Not yet,”_ he told himself.

“Anyway, it’s 6.20 pm, let’s go home Gulf. Office hour is finished” he said as he packed his things.

“I’m staying a bit longer”

“Oh, why?"

“I don’t like taking the BTS during the rushed hour. It’s too crowded” the younger explained.

“Who said you’re taking the BTS? I said let’s go home, so obviously I’m driving you back”

“No, I don’t want you to do that. I already feel bad about you driving me in the morning”

“I don’t take no for an answer, Kanawut” Mew smirked at him.

“But, Phi…”

“No buts. Come on, go pack your things. I’ll wait for you in the car” Mew said as he walked towards the door, “Also, let’s grab dinner before I send you off. I’m starving!” Mew added and left before the younger could say anything. He decided to listen to his friends advise. If he wanted the younger then he needs to show that he does. He decided that being subtle won’t get him anywhere. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure of the younger’s feelings but he was willing to win him over.

—

“Phi, I want to repay you for driving me today,” Gulf said as looked at the older.

The older hummed in response before saying, “how?” as he glanced back at Gulf. When their eyes met, Gulf immediately panicked and looked down. Mew could see that the younger was nervously playing with his fingers. _“Cute”_

“Let me pay for dinner later” Gulf responded after thinking for a while.

“Hmm, boring. I don’t like that. Plus, you don’t have to repay me. I’m doing this because I want too”

“Why not? It’s the least I could do” the younger looked up and with a pleading look on his face.

“Okay, but what if I want to eat somewhere expensive?” the older smirked at him. Immediately, he could see Gulf swallowed hard at his words, not knowing what to say.

“I can’t afford that, Phi…” Mew wanted to coo Gulf when a pout appeared on his face.

“Then, you don’t have to do anything” the older assured him.

The younger kept quiet for a while before opening his mouth, “how about I cook for you instead?”

“What?” Mew didn’t expect the younger to say that.

“I can’t afford to pay for an expensive dinner but I can try to cook as good as those fancy restaurants. Come on Phi, please? People said I’m a good cook. Please? I promise you won’t regret it” Gulf pressed his hands together as he pleads the older.

“You want me to come over for dinner?” Mew asked him again. He couldn’t believe his ears. Did Gulf want him over?

“Just so that I could repay you! Please, P’Mew?” the Bambi eyes stared at him.

“Fine” Mew said hiding his true emotions. He was deliriously happy, giddy even. He tried to calm himself down and conceal his delight. Although he was intoxicated with joy, he doesn’t want to show it to the younger. He can’t wait to reach his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll write the dinner part in the next update hehe. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Please leave your thoughts and kudos as I really appreciate them.
> 
> Ps, if you read my other story Bruised Heart, I'll update it by this week. Having writer's block at the moment :(


	6. A Meal for Two

“Phi, just to let you know, my apartment is really small and umm, quite messy,” the younger said as he took out his keys to unlock the door. Watching him fumble with the lock, Mew could sense that the younger was nervous.

“I don’t mind, Gulf. As long as there’s food then I’m good” Mew gave Gulf a reassurance smile making the younger nod sheepishly.

Once entered, Mew observed his surroundings. The apartment was indeed small, but it’s comfortable enough for one person. The house was decorated with basic furnishing, with no extra decorative pieces except for some picture frames on the wall and table. And in contrast to what Gulf had said, it was not messy, in fact, is was clean and tidy. Overall, the apartment was simple, yet felt very homely.

“See, nothing fancy” the younger put the keys on the dining table and lead Mew to the living room’s couch.

“I like it Gulf, it feels homely” Mew sat down as gestured by Gulf while the younger awkwardly sat beside him, leaving a big gap between them.

“Umm, should I get you something to drink before I start cooking?”

“No, I’m good, thanks” the younger nod his head as he started to look around. Mew’s eyes followed Gulf’s every move till the younger’s eyes landed on something. He walked to the dining table to grab it. It was a TV remote.

“Here, Phi. You can watch TV while I prepare the dinner” he handed Mew the remote and made his way to the kitchen. However, Mew stopped him, “Wait” the younger stopped and turned around, to see if the older wants anything.

“Let me help you” Mew got off the couch and walked next to him.

Gulf showed a disapproval face and shook his head, “No, I’m trying to repay you. You can’t help me. It won’t count as repaying if you’re still helping me” the younger frown.

“And why not?” The truth is Mew just wanted to spend time with Gulf. This was his opportunity to bond with the younger. Although they worked together, Gulf is always on the other side of the wall hence, not much interaction goes on at work. Despite him staring at Gulf with a pleading look, the younger still shook his index finger, to indicate rejection, “no Phi, now sit down and wait, okay?”

“What if you try to poison me?” Mew said dramatically even though he knows that wouldn’t happen but he loves teasing the younger to get a reaction from him. Plus, he needs an excuse to stay by the younger’s side, “I don’t want to die. I’m too young to die” Mew pouted, hoping to change the younger’s mind.

“And what? To kill my boss and lose my job? Phi, I would be homeless if I go unemployed for another month or two”

“No, you won’t be homeless, you’ll be in jail” Mew grinned at him.

“And I thought you were the serious type” the younger laughed at Mew, shaking his head not expecting this childish side of Mew, “But seriously P’Mew, please let me do this on my own. I don’t like feeling as if I owe you something”

Hearing that made Mew sad, he didn’t want the younger to return any favours. There’s no need too. He had helped the younger from the bottom of his heart. As Mew wanted to say something to counter back, the younger cut him off before he could even say the first word “I know you do it because you want too and I am honestly very grateful for it but please let me do this. I won’t feel comfortable knowing that I didn’t do anything to repay your kindness, please?” Gulf plead with his Bambi eyes, Mew’s weakness.

Seeing how serious the younger were, Mew decided to give in and wait in the living room. He sat back down on the couch and turn the TV on, while the younger head to the kitchen. Mew couldn’t help but wonder if there’s a reason why the younger was acting this way? Why is he so keen on repaying back?

—

As he sat on the dining table, his eyes couldn’t stop staring at all the delicious dishes placed in front of him. He mouth starts watering as everything looks so good. The effort that the younger put, cooking for him not just one but four different types of dishes.

“I know I was supposed to cook something fancy, but I wanted you to eat something different. You always eat in those high-end restaurants and none of them served Thai food, so I figured you might miss it”

What the younger said was true. Mew hadn’t had Thai food in ages. Despite living in Thailand, he rarely goes to restaurants that serve Thai food. He used to eat it often back when he was younger as the maids would cook for him daily but once he moved out, he only relied on eating out with friends and none of them would suggest their local cuisine as they often eat it at home.

When Mew was deep in his thoughts, the younger took his plate and helped scoop the dishes onto his plate. Mew couldn’t help but feel touched over it. It wasn’t a big gesture but the fact that the younger put him first made him happy. While Gulf was busy serving him, Mew can’t help but stare at Gulf. He has a handsome face with feminine features. With his beautiful brown eyes, sharp nose, plump pink lips and adorable small ears, Mew can’t help but admire every inch of him _“So beautiful”_ he thought to himself.

“Here you go” Gulf set his plate back in front of him breaking his stare “Enjoy, Phi, hope you like it”

Mew sheepishly thanked him and grabbed his spoon to take the first bite. His eyes went wide as there’s an explosion of flavours in his mouth. The food was well seasoned and it reminded him of his younger days when this kind of food was easily accessible to him. The food had satisfied a craving, he didn’t realise he had.

“This is so good, Gulf! It reminds me of my maids’ cooking. No, actually even better!” he said as he took another bite.

The big smile that was plastered on Gulf’s face didn’t go unnoticed. The young man looked at Mew with full of adoration before taking a bite himself.

“I’m glad you like it, Phi”

“Like it? I love it!” Mew corrected him while he happily took another bite, “I wish I can cook”

“Oh, you can’t cook? Didn’t I see you buying groceries?” Gulf asked looking puzzled.

“Believe it or not, that was my first attempt at cooking and guess what? Never again! I swear I almost burned my condo down” Mew shook his head, remembering the disaster that happened on that day.

“I don’t think it can be that bad”

“Oh trust me, it is THAT bad” Mew emphasises on the ‘that’. He would rather starve than to cook again.

“Then why did you offer to help just now if you can’t cook?” Gulf looked at him, burning with curiosity.

Mew stopped his chewing as he looked at the younger, _“shit, what should I say?”._ The younger took a bite of his food while looking at him, still anticipating for his answer.

Mew let out an awkward laugh and begin his lie, “Oh, I just wanted to be nice. I feel bad going to your place and not help out”. When gulf heard his answers, he just nods his head in understanding, not trying to pry more.

“Well thank god you didn’t help. You might burn down my apartment and make me homeless” Gulf smirked as he teased him.

“Hey!” Mew said defensively as the younger laughed out loud.

“You might need to increase my salary if that ever happens” Gulf teased him even more making Mew rolled his eyes.

Deciding to tease the younger back, Mew decided the best way to do it is by making the younger man speechless, “Well, if that ever happens, you won’t be homeless, I’ll make sure of that” he said as he stared directly into Gulf’s eyes.

“Oh yeah, how sure are you?” Gulf questioned him back, sipping into his glass of water.

Mew came closer to Gulf as he whispered into his ear “Because you can live with me” and with that, Gulf chocked on his water. The younger coughed, trying to clear his throat as the older man leaned back on his chair, satisfied at his reaction. Gulf was immediately flushed by Mew’s comment, looking at him with wide eyes.

“See, told you won’t be homeless” Mew smirked at him as Gulf broke the eye contact, looking down, focusing on his plate.

Mew shook his head as he laughed at the shy mess in front of him, “But seriously, you’re really good at cooking, Gulf. In fact, what are you doing as my personal assistant? You should become my personal chef instead!”

“You’re always welcome to come by for a meal, Phi” Gulf whispered to himself thinking that Mew didn’t hear him. The way he said it was soft, but not soft enough for it to go unheard. Mew stopped chewing as he stared at the younger who resumed on eating, pretending as if he didn’t say anything. _“Maybe he is interested in me”_

A smile broke on his face “I would love too, Gulf” he answered back making the younger man stunned. He did not expect Mew to hear his whisper. As the younger struggle to answer back, Mew changed the subject to calm Gulf down.

“So tell me, how did you get so talented in football? You’re so good, you should be a professional football player” This was his chance to get to know the younger deeper than he already does. He might get an idea of what kind of person Gulf is by his secret observations but he doesn’t actually know the younger from within.

“Well, that was actually the goal. My parents used to send me to football classes as a kid, so I’ve been playing since I was really young. I guess the amount of practice I got made me good but sadly I had to let it go because… Well, you know… Umm, so yeah” Gulf mumbled at the last part, looking down. Mew could tell that Gulf was still affected by his father’s passing. Not liking the frown on his face, he tried to bring his mood up.

“Well, if you miss playing, maybe we can go play together someday”

That made Gulf instantly look up, looking at Mew with hopeful eyes “Really? You play, Phi?”

“No, never. I don’t think I even know how to kick a ball properly” Mew giggled, “but if you’re willing to teach me, then I’ll be willing to learn” Mew took a sip from his glass of water before continuing, “You know, to be honest before you joined the team, I had zero interest in football but since you joined, I kid you not but I went to every match just to watch you play” 

The information received made Gulf looked at him in disbelief, “really?”

“Really, I’m not kidding. You were that good. I get so intrigued every time I see you play” The redness that disappeared a while ago came rushing back as Mew could see the colour red staining the younger’s ears as he nods shyly.

“Thank you, P’Mew. That really means a lot” Gulf gave a warm smile.

—

While eating, Mew mentioned a movie that he really loves and was surprised that Gulf had never seen it. And that’s how they ended up on the couch, watching the said movie recommended by Mew on Netflix. Mew was so appalled by Gulf, that he had to force the younger to watch it with him. In the middle of the movie, Mew could feel Gulf staring at him and moving uncomfortably as if he is stopping himself from saying something. He turned to the younger “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, it’s just that when I see them perform, I can’t help but to think of something”

“Hm, what is it?”

“Do you still play with your band?” and that immediately triggered Mew’s emotions.

The question made Mew feel sad. Back in University, while Gulf was active in sports, Mew was active musically. He had a band that would perform in every University events and competitions. He was the lead singer and guitarist of the band. He enjoyed being on stage, looking at the crowd cheering and enjoying his music. He felt like a whole different person on stage, he felt free.

But sadly, as much as he wanted to pursue it professionally, it got shut down by his parents. They were against it and has condemned his dream, making them argue frequently because of it. Mew knew he had no choice but to take over the father’s company but sometimes he wishes that he do have a choice and maybe he would be happier. If you were to ask Mew if he liked being born rich, he would answer no. Don’t get him wrong, he is extremely grateful but being a son of an influential family means there are high expectations. People have already painted his future and who he is before he could even decide for himself and sometimes he couldn’t stand the pressure.

And with that, a frown appeared on his face as he shook his head, “No, I stopped the moment I graduated”

When Gulf saw Mew’s frown, he can’t help but do the same, “why did you stop?”

“Let’s just say I have a typical Asian parent who thinks there’s no future for musicians” Mew chuckled a little just thinking about it. He felt so angry, he can’t help but laugh as a coping mechanism.

“I’m sorry to hear that Phi…”

“It’s okay, I’m over it” Mew lied.

“Well, just to let you know, I love all of your songs. You are really talented. The lyrics are so beautiful. It must be for your girlfriend right? She’s very lucky to have someone to write songs about her”

“It’s not about her” Mew immediately said.

“Huh?”

Mew took a deep breath and sigh, _“The songs are about you, not her”_ he thought to himself but he couldn’t tell Gulf that. All the love songs written by Mew were about Gulf. All of his songs had gender-neutral pronouns so that people wouldn’t be suspicious. Many had thought that it was about his then-girlfriend but only he knew who it was really for. He had never confirmed or deny anything. He lets people interpret however they want, as long as he himself knows the truth.

“It’s about no one in particular. I just like writing love songs because it’s the easiest to convey and write” Mew doesn’t know how many lies he was going to tell tonight.

“Oh, I see but it’s still beautiful Phi, you’re so talented” he smiled at the older, “If you don’t mind me asking, did you stop completely?”

“No, I still write songs but I just don’t perform them anymore”

Gulf turned his body completely and faced Mew “Well, you can always play for me. I would love to hear them one day” Gulf said, making Mew feel moved. He wishes he could sing his feelings out for Gulf and let him know how he truly feels but he knows it's not possible for now. He wants to court Gulf properly, as that is what the younger deserved. Wanting to look at the younger, Mew did the same as Gulf and moved his body to face him.

“I might not be a big crowd but I can cheer as loud as them” Gulf continued, making Mew laughed.

“I don’t want my assistant to lose his voice”

“Well for you, I would,” Gulf said, making Mew speechless, heart’s fluttering.

Neither of them is focusing on the movie anymore. He stared at the younger. Lost in his eyes, without thinking, Mew unconsciously said “why did it take this long for me to finally talk to you?” and he had only realised what he said after he saw the younger’s reaction.

“What…”

_“Fuck”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Chapter! Enjoy everyone :)
> 
> Anyway, leave your thoughts in the comment below and don't forget to leave a kudos. Thank you!
> 
> Ps, (SPOILER ALERT) did ya'll die watching Tharntype yesterday like I did? It took me 2 hours to complete 1 episode, I was a pausing mess especially at the shower scene. When Tharn carried Type, I completely lost it hahaha.


	7. Take It Slow

“What…”

The younger was astounded from the words that escaped from Mew’s mouth. He was staring at Mew with wide eyes and mouth slightly opened, not sure if he heard the right thing. Mew didn’t know how to react. Who would have thought that he would say his thoughts out loud?

“What did you say?” the younger asked again, waiting for his response.

 _“You want to court him, Mew. Let’s not deny and make any excuses”_ Mew thought to himself before coming clean, “I’ve always wanted to talk to you back in Uni but let’s just say I was a coward to do so”

“But why…”

 _“Not yet, Mew. Not yet. Don’t tell him you like him now. Court him properly. You need to think this through. He’s your assistant for god sake, you can’t just jump straight into a relationship”_ Mew was fighting his urge to confess to the younger and he knew that he shouldn’t do it now. As much as he wants to date Gulf, he needed time to plan and think of the consequences. But then again, how long does he need to wait? His friends' words kept repeating in his head. He is scared that he would lose his final opportunity.

“Phi?” Gulf’s soft voice shook him out of his thoughts.

 _“Come on, it’s now or never”_ He took a deep breath “because I like you” Mew started, “I like you since the first time I laid my eyes on you. The first time I saw you play when you first joined the football team, I was immediately attracted to you. I’ve been wanting to approach you and talk to you but I was scared. I was a coward. I wasn’t brave enough to do it”

Mew looked at the younger and he had an unreadable expression, “but you had a girlfriend…”

Mew sighed, “I know but the truth is, I didn’t love her. I never did” Mew could see that Gulf was bewildered. The younger had his eyebrows furrowed. It seems like he wasn’t comfortable with the information he heard. _“Shit, he must think I’m a heartless prick that plays with people’s feelings”_ He didn’t want Gulf to get the wrong idea.

“No, don’t get me wrong. She knew about my feelings. I dated her because my parents want me too. Her parents and mine are good friends so they thought that it was best for us to date. I didn’t like the idea but I agreed anyway because I didn’t want to disappoint them. But although I didn’t love her, I still respected her. Which is one of the reasons why I choose not to approach you” he explained himself while Gulf seems more relax now.

Gulf tried to process what was going on, “you like me,” he said more of a statement than a question, twiddling his fingers, avoiding eyes contacts.

Mew was getting worried that he had read him wrong this whole time. “I do. Look, if you don’t feel the same way then let’s just pretend as if I didn’t say anything, okay? I just wanted to get it off my chest” Mew was worried that this might ruin their work relationship.

The younger slowly shook his head and looked at Mew directly in the eyes, “What if I don’t want to pretend?”

Mew looked at Gulf, head slightly tilted. “What do you mean?”

“I like you too, Phi” the words came out of Gulf’s mouth made happiness radiated through Mew's body.

“You like me?”

The younger smiled and nodded his head shyly, “I like you since my 1st year of University but I didn’t approach you because you had a girlfriend and I didn’t know if you like men”

“Oh my god, we are both idiots aren’t we?” Mew laughed and shook his head. He couldn’t believe that they both had mutually liked each other but choose to stay away from one and another.

“I- I can’t believe this is happening. I need time to process this” Gulf blurted and he shakes his head. “You like me? You” Gulf pointed to Mew, “Mew Suppasit, likes me?”

Mew released a toothy grin, “I do and I always had” clarifying his feelings to the younger as he held onto Gulf’s hand, “but let’s take it slow okay? I want to court you properly” he said caressing his hand with his thumb.

“So what does that make us?”

Mew thought for a while before answering, “Single but not available” making the younger laugh. “No but seriously, I plan on courting you properly before asking you to be my boyfriend but since my big mouth blurted something I shouldn’t, I still want to make you feel special before I make things official. Is that okay with you?”

“As long as you’re not seeing other people, Phi”

“Hey, I’m not the one who received flowers this morning” Mew playfully rolled his eyes.

“But I’m not interested” Gulf defended himself and pouted.

“Good cause you’re mine,” Mew said as he tucked in Gulf’s hair behind his ear, and caressed his red ear softly.

“Mild and Boat would freak out with this information, oh my god,” the younger said still in disbelief.

Suddenly the words that came out of the younger’s mouth made Mew worried. Reality hits as Mew suddenly felt anxious. No one knew about his sexual orientation and as a CEO of a big company, he was scared that it might affect the company negatively if the word comes out. Plus, what would people say if they find out that Mew is dating his assistant? It would reflect negatively on both of them, especially for Gulf. If his parents find out, Gulf might get fired and Mew doesn’t want that. He wants to protect him.

“Umm, Gulf. Let’s not tell anyone or go public about this” Gulf looks hurt and confused with the sudden order coming from Mew. “We can tell our close friends but let’s not tell anyone else. We need to think this through. We are in a dangerous position right now, especially when you’re my assistant”

Finally understanding where all his worries were coming from, Gulf nods his head in agreement, “okay, Phi. I understand”

Mew pulled Gulf closer to him and put his arms around his waist as Gulf laid his head on his shoulder. They fit together like puzzle pieces, as if, Gulf were meant to be in his arms. He had never thought that this day would come. “Thank you, Gulf” he said as he gently kisses Gulf’s head.

The younger slightly shudder from the kiss and whispered “goosebumps” making Mew chuckled.

“You’ll get used to it soon” Mew replied as he places his head on Gulf’s.

\---

Today was a busy day for both Mew and Gulf. With multiple meeting and appointment scheduled, they were constantly in and out of the office as some of the meetings weren’t held in the company’s building. Both of them barely had proper lunch as they need to rush to their next location, beating Bangkok’s horrendous traffic.

It’s been 2 weeks since he worked with Mew and he finally got the hang of it. As requested by Mew, he is required to take notes during meetings. Previously, he wasn’t sure of what to highlight but now that he had attended several meetings, he knows what information is important and needed for Mew to refer back later.

If you’re asking about the current standpoint of their relationship, they are still not officially together but they had gone out on several dates after work and during the weekends. As Mew said, he wants to court him properly before making things official. And although there is something between them, they managed to be professional at work. They made sure that no one is suspicious of their relationship but that doesn’t stop them from sneaking a kiss or two in Mew’s office during break time.

Also, lucky for Gulf, he hasn’t heard anything from Mr Saelim since the flower incident. The older must have lost interest and he was glad because possessive Mew can be a little scary. He had encountered waiters flirting with him while Mew was around and let’s say the older didn’t seem pleased about it. If eyes could kill, they would be dead from Mew’s fiery piercing stares.

“Hey Gulf,” Mew said breaking his thoughts. They are currently in the car, heading to their final destination.

“Yes?”

“Are you free tonight?” Mew asked not looking at him as he was busy on his phone.

“Yeah, why?”

“Go back with me, I want to take you somewhere”

“But I drove today”

Mew finally looked up “Just leave your car in the office’s basement. I’ll send you back and pick you up tomorrow morning”

“But I don’t want to burden you tomorrow, Phi”

Gulf looked at Mew. The older was facing to the front to look at the driver and pressed a button to bring up the divider, separating them and the driver. Once it is closed, Mew grabbed Gulf by his hand. “I would do anything for you, Gulf. So, please? I really want to take you somewhere” his tone suddenly changed. It’s softer compared to how he usually talks when there are people around.

Gulf’s heart swells at the man’s pleading voice. There was no way he could say no to Mew. “Okay, but where are we going?”

“That is for me to know and you to find out,” said Mew as he winked at him.

—

“Here, put this on” Mew gave Gulf a blindfold making the younger stare at him with wide eyes.

“Ha?”

“I don’t want you to see where we are going, so put this on. Come here, let me help you” Mew said as he gently put on the blindfold over Gulf's eyes. All Gulf could see now is pitch black and truthfully, he was uncomfortable. He wasn’t scared of the dark but he doesn’t like the fact that he can’t see and he doesn’t know where they’re heading too.

Mew could see that Gulf tensed up the moment the blindfold is on, “Relax, Gulf. I’m right here. I’m not taking you to anywhere dangerous, I promise” he said as he put his hand on Gulf’s thigh, rubbing it to ease the younger. Mew left his hand there as he drove to their destination.

The drive was comfortably silent. And since Gulf was honestly quite exhausted from work today, he decided to take a short nap. “Can I sleep for a while, Phi? I’m tired”

“Of course, you can. Go ahead, I’ll wake you up when we arrive”

30 minutes later, Gulf could feel someone gently shaking him. “Gulf, wake up, we’re here”

Gulf opened his eyes, and slightly panicked when he saw darkness till he remembered he had a blindfold on. “Can I take this off now?”

“Sure,” Mew said as he helped the younger out. When the blindfold is off, Gulf blinked a couple of times to get used to the brightness before looking around to see where he was. When he saw the signboard, he immediately looked at Mew, eyes glowing with happiness. He can’t believe it.

“Sea Life?!” Gulf shriek making Mew nod in excitement. The older was genuinely content to see the big smile plastered on Gulf’s face.

“I remembered you told me on your first day that you love fishes and you always wanted one as a kid”

“You remember?”

“I quite attentive when it comes to you, Gulf, so of course I remember” Mew ruffled Gulf’s hair.

Gulf was speechless. He didn’t expect Mew to remember. It was a meaningless conversation that Gulf didn’t expect Mew to pay attention too. He felt touched as no one had surprised him like this before. All the tiredness he felt has immediately disappeared as he was so excited to go in.

“What are we waiting for! Let’s go in!” Gulf said jumping out of the car in excitement.

—

“Phi! Phi! Look at how big the shark is!!” Gulf pulled Mew’s hand to the direction of the shark tank. Mew followed the younger happily. It was blissful for him to see Gulf like this. He could tell how exhausted the younger was today from all the workload so he decided to treat him. Remembering how much the younger loves fishes, he knew that bringing him to Sea Life would be the best plan.

“Do you think it’s possible to swim with them Phi?”

“I think you can in some places” Mew replied making Gulf squealed with delight.

“Can we do that one day?” Gulf tugged onto Mew’s sleeve. _“Sorry Gulfie, as much as I want to make you happy, I would never sacrifice myself and swim with sharks”_

Mew awkwardly laughed “Umm, sure but how about we try one with dolphins first?”. Mew didn’t want Gulf to know that he’s afraid of the idea.

The younger looked at him and grinned “Are you afraid, Phi?”

“What? Of course not! I just like dolphins better” Mew defended himself, making the younger chuckled.

After constantly being around Mew for the past 2 weeks, Gulf knew that his pleading voice and Bambi eyes were Mew’s weakness so the younger decided to use it now. “But what if I want you too. Would you do it for me? Pleaseee”

 _“No, don’t give in,”_ Mew thought to himself but it was hard as Gulf couldn’t stop staring into his eyes, pleading.

“Fine but if I die, I will come and haunt you” Mew gave up, slightly sulking.

As the younger could sense the older’s feelings, Mew suddenly felt Gulf’s arm linking onto his. “Don’t sulk P’Mew. You know I’m just kidding, right? I’ll never force you to do something you don’t want. So cheer up, I won’t let the shark kill you”

Mew let out a sigh of relief, which made Gulf laughed. “Good, cause who’s going to take care of you when I die”

“I can always find someone new, Phi” Possessiveness took over as Mew slightly hit Gulf’s arm making the younger repeatedly say he’s just kidding.

“Come on grumpy pants, let’s go see the jellyfishes!” Gulf said once again pulling Mew’s hand. Mew didn’t mind the younger’s public affection. In fact, he loves it. He finally felt happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, thoughts on the new update?
> 
> I don't want them to jump straight into a relationship. I feel like they should get to know each other more before officially be together.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter, and buckle up as there's more to come.
> 
> Please leave a comment as I enjoy reading them and kudos are much appreciated. Thank you :D


	8. Breakfast Surprise

**Flashback**

Mew was running on caffeine trying to complete his presentation. The presentation is due at 9 am today and he was stupid enough to get the due date mixed up. Not being able to concentrate at home, he decided to go to a 24 hours cafe near to his University to focus on completing the task. It was his first time going to the cafe and he actually loves the environment. He sat at a table near the counter but instead of facing it, he faced the wall for full concentration. He didn’t want to get distracted by looking at the workers.

It is now 7.30 am and the cafe is starting to get busy. Compared to when he first got there, the cafe is now busy with chatter from mostly University students that came to have their breakfast. Mew was glad that he was in his final slide, so the noises made didn’t really bother him. Suddenly, the bell from the door rung as new customers entered. The voice, however, halts his concentration.

“Gulf, why do we have to go here every day? Can’t we go somewhere else?” a voice said. Mew could see from his laptop screen’s reflection that it was Gulf’s best friend, Mild. And beside him was Gulf, looking fairly annoyed at his friend.

“I didn’t ask you to follow me. I’m just going to get something to go and we can meet up in Uni. So just go get your breakfast somewhere you like and meet up later”

“But I can’t think of any. Not many cafes open this early” complained the friend again.

“Oh and is that my problem?” Gulf teased Mild, making Mew chuckled. Mew didn’t mean to eavesdrop but his concentration was interrupted by them. 

“So mean” Mild huffed, “fine, I’ll just get something from here too. What are you getting? The usual?”

“You know how obsessed I am with the congee here, so of course the usual” Mew subconsciously took a mental note to try it out the next time he comes here.

“Aren’t you sick of it?”

“Never. I could eat it every day, 3 times a day”

“Better than crispy pork basil rice?”

“… Okay maybe crispy pork basil rice is slightly above the congee” Another mental note for Mew, Gulf loves crispy pork basil rice and congee from this cafe. He wasn’t sure when that information would be useful but he’ll keep that in mind just in case he has the opportunity to eat with him one day.

**Present**

And that one day is today. Since Gulf had left his car in the office’s basement, Mew had to pick him up in the morning. Decided to surprised the younger, he left his home early to stop by the cafe and packed the congee for both of them. He was excited to see the younger’s reaction.

—

It was 7 am when Gulf heard his doorbell rang. He cursed when he saw the time. He had 30 minutes left before his alarm ring but someone had to disturb his slumber. He got off his bed groggily, rubbing his eyes as he approached the front door. He swears he felt like killing whoever behind the door. When he opened it, all his sleepiness and anger disappeared. He didn’t expect to see Mew standing there.

“P’Mew, what are you doing here so early?” he asked and suddenly realised how bad he must have looked now. His hair was sticking out everywhere, and he was only wearing a tank top with boxers on. _“Crap, why must you come when I’m at my worst”_ Gulf thought to himself.

“Good morning sleeping beauty” Mew beamed, “I got us breakfast,” he said as he showed the packed food in his hands.

Gulf didn’t know if he wants to cry or laugh. He loves how thoughtful the older is for bringing breakfast but he hates standing here looking like a slob in front of the man he likes. Mew noticed Gulf’s tensed face.

“Hey, are you okay? Did I disturb you? I’m sorry for coming early and not telling you. I thought of surprising you” the older frown.

The younger shook his head, “It’s not that Phi. I’m actually really happy but umm, I feel embarrassed for you to see me like this”

“Like what?” Mew was clearly confused.

“This” Gulf gestured himself from head to toe, “I don’t look presentable, plus, my hair is a mess”

When Mew finally gets where Gulf is coming from, he laughed. He didn’t see it coming. “Gulf, I don’t see anything wrong. In fact, I think you look cute” he said as he peck Gulf on the cheek, “how lucky will I be to be waking up beside you in the future”

“You’re just saying that”

“You want me to show you instead?”

“Hm, how?” Gulf furrowed his eyebrows.

Mew suddenly pulled Gulf in his arms, “Like this” and kissed him on the lips, surprising the younger. When they pulled apart, Gulf was flushed. “Phi, don’t do that… I haven’t brush my teeth yet” he said sheepishly.

“I don’t care, you’re always perfect to me” grinned Mew.

“Sappy” Gulf laughed and pushed Mew away, “can I shower first before we eat?”

“Sure, I’ll go get the food ready”

“Please don’t break anything Phi” Gulf teased the older.

“The more you say it, the more tempted I am to break things” replied Mew as he shook his head.

After the shower, Gulf sat at the dining table feeling hungry from a familiar smell of congee. It smells like the one he used to be obsessed with back in Uni. He hasn’t had a chance to go to the cafe for awhile now as it is quite a distance from his apartment and he really misses it.

At the first bite, he knew he was right, it was the cafe’s congee. “Oh my god, did you buy this at Pot and Basil’s?” he asked receiving a nod from Mew.

“I used to be obsessed with this congee back in University. I used to eat it almost every day. I miss this so much. Thanks, P’Mew” he said as he took another bite, happily.

Mew didn’t say anything, he just looked at the younger with a big smile on his face, feeling satisfied that he had made the younger’s morning.

—

“Are you really going back to your mom’s this weekend?” Mew frowned. He has been asking Gulf that all day.

“Phi, concentrate, we’re going through your upcoming schedules”

“But”

“No buts, give me 5 minutes of your time to go through this and we can talk after. Didn’t you say you are serious when it comes to working?”

“But office hour is done” Mew tried to back himself up.

“But I’m not done, come on Phi, listen,” Gulf said sternly, “okay, I just finalised a meeting appointment with Mr Bank for the acquisition plan. I scheduled it tomorrow, after lunch at 2.30 pm as I see a free slot there. Then just now, Mr Saelim’s secretary called”

Mew rolled his eyes after hearing the old man’s name. “What does he want?”

“He wants to schedule a meeting, preferably on Friday to discuss the mall. He likes the design but wants to make a few changes. Your Friday schedule is quite packed, so I wanted to know if I should slot in the appointment or if you would like to reschedule it to another day? I don’t want to put too many things on your plate in one day” 

Mew looked at his planner, as much as hates the man. He can’t delay their meeting. It is important. “Schedule it at 5 pm”

Gulf nodded his head, “Noted, Phi. I’ll book the appointment by tomorrow morning”

“Anything else?”

“Nope, that’s it,” Gulf said as he closed his planner.

“Okay, good because I have a few things to say, firstly, you are not going to Mr Saelim’s meeting this Friday for obvious reasons. I don’t want that pest to be anywhere near you and secondly, are you really going back this weekend?” Mew was serious in the first half of his sentence and started to whine in the second half. He really didn’t want Gulf to leave. Yes, he sees him every day but they don’t talk much at work as they are both busy with their respective task.

“I already said yes, Phi. I already skipped last week to go out with you. I can’t skip anymore. I really miss them”

Mew pout but nod in understanding. He knows his boundaries. No matter how sad he is, he has no rights to stop the younger from seeing his family. “Okay, I understand. I’m going to miss you though”

“It’s only 2 days, relax” the younger laughed.

“2 days, too long” Mew huffed.

“Come with me then”

Mew was startled at Gulf’s statement, “What?”

“You can come with me. I can take you around the area”

Mew wasn’t comfortable with the idea. As mentioned, no one knew about his sexual orientation and he didn’t feel comfortable meeting Gulf’s family just yet.

“I would love too but umm… I haven’t told you this but no one knows that I’m bi except for Boom and Singto so I don’t feel comfortable meeting your family” he said. Not wanting to offend the younger, he continued, “B-but don’t get the wrong idea though, it has nothing to do with you. I’m just not ready to come out” Mew slightly panicked. He didn’t want Gulf to get the wrong idea.

“Don’t worry, Phi. I understand. You don’t have to come if you don’t want too. However, I don’t know if you have forgotten but we’re not together yet” Gulf chuckled, “so technically, I can introduce you as my friend or boss, either one of them”

 _“He’s right,”_ Mew thought. He can spend time with Gulf without spilling his secrets to anyone. “I mean, if you put it that way then I guess it should be fine”

“So are you up for it or not?”

Mew thought for a while before agreeing to the younger’s plan. “Okay, count me in” he beamed.

“Perfect, I’ll pick you up at 10 am on Saturday, text me your address so I’ll know where to go”

Mew was excited to spend his weekend with Gulf. Plus, he hasn’t been to where the mother lives so it would be nice to visit somewhere new. While thinking about it, another thought came in and made Mew curious. _“Has Gulf came out to his parents?”_

“Gulf?” Mew said as the younger hummed in response.

“I’m curious, does your family know that you’re gay?”

Gulf nodded his head, “They do. I actually came out when I was 14”

Surprised with the revelation, he asked “and what do they think about it?”

“They didn’t mind. They didn’t care who I love as long as that person takes good care of me and loves me” Mew was jealous. He wished he could come out to his parents but he knew that he wouldn’t get the same reaction as Gulf’s family. He had first-hand experience with his father’s homophobic comments every time they came across a same-sex couple. He hated it and it hurts him as he was indirectly insulting him too.

“You’re lucky, Gulf. My parents would probably kill me" he paused and sighed "but I’ll come out one day. I don’t want you to be a secret forever. I want to proudly show you off” he said.

“Don’t worry, Phi. Don’t force yourself. Come out whenever you’re ready. Don’t be pressured by any other factors. It’s your choice and I’ll always be here to support you” Gulf’s words made Mew happy. He was glad that the younger was supportive and was not being pushy. Gulf was the complete opposite of his ex-boyfriend back in high school, who threatened to end things if he didn’t announce their relationship.

“Thank you for understanding, Gulf” he smiled and felt lucky to meet someone like the beautiful man in front of him.

“Don’t worry about it. Oh, by the way, I need to leave now, I have to meet up with Mild and Boat for dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Gulf walked up to Mew and gave him a hug.

“Bye Gulf, drive safely and text me when you’re home,” Mew said kissing Gulf’s head as they embrace.

“Oh, Phi, before I forgot, please put on your bestest behaviour this weekend. I know I’m only introducing you as my friend but I want them to really really like you”

“Yes, captain” Mew grinned as they pull apart.

Gulf shook his head and laugh, “I’ll get going now, bye Phi”

When the younger walked out, Mew sat on his chair, smiling. He might take forever to get to know Gulf but he was happy that he finally did. After more than 2 weeks of working with him, he couldn’t help but fall for him even more. He truly loves the younger’s personality and he felt a constant spark of happiness being around Gulf. He can’t wait to make things official.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready for Mew to meet Gulf's family in the next chapter? Stay tuned for the next update hehe.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy the story so far as I really enjoy writing it. Please leave your thoughts as I would like to hear your opinion. Also, leave a kudos to show support. Thank you!


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